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The preliminary hearing for singer D4vd, who has been charged in connection with the killing of the fourteen-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez, began on July 21, 2026. The hearing will determine whether there is sufficient evidence for the singer to stand trial. During the first day of the hearing, LAPD Detective Joshua Byers revealed details of how the decomposed body of Hernandez was found in the singer's Tesla in September, 2025.
Among other evidence, what stood out was the testimony concerning the singer's finances. D4vd's financial manager, Benjamin Greger, revealed the singer's assets were valued at more than $10 million between 2023 and 2025.
Former federal prosecutor Naema Rahmani told News Nation,
"He was very successful at a very young age, and that could have all been taken away from him if people found out that he was in a sexual relationship with an underage girl … that’s a lot of reasons to want to kill someone and make them disappear. Money makes people do crazy things."
According to USA Today, Louis Poimiroo, a senior Vice President at his former Interscope Records, claimed Burke's contract with the music label began in 2022 and ended in 2025, which generated approximately $7 million. Prosecutors highlighted a potential theory that the singer could have killed Hernandez to protect his career and his finances.
According to the prosecutors, when Hernandez threatened to expose their relationship, the singer knew that if he did not silence her, his career would be jeopardized. According to various sources, the contract with the music label could have paid the singer up to several million if all the aspects of the contract were met. However, the music label opted out of the deal in December 2025.
The Celeste Rivas Hernandez case timeline: Prosecutors claim D4vd killed the teen to protect his career
On April 16, 2026, singer D4vd was arrested on suspicion of killing Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old whose decomposed body was found in a car.
According to PBS News, Hernandez's body was found on September 8, 2025, in a Tesla car that was towed near an upscale neighbourhood in Hollywood Hills. Upon investigation, it was found that the car was registered under the singer's name, whose legal name is David Anthony Burke.
Hernandez was 13 when her family reported her missing in February 2024 from Lake Elsinore. She returned to her home after two days on February 19, 2024.
The investigators also found a cadaver bag that contained a decomposed head and torso, and the other severed body parts were found in a second black bag.
Months after Hernandez's body was found, on November 26, 2025, the Los Angeles Times reported that the City District Attorney has set a special grand jury to fast-track the case.
On April 20, 2026, D4vd was charged with the murder of Celestes Rivas Hernandez. According to the BBC, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman has filed about seven criminal charges against D4vd, which include illegal mutilation of human remains, first-degree murder, and continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14. The prosecutors claimed that Hernandez was killed on April 23 with a sharp object, and her body was disposed of because she had apparently threatened to expose D4vd's s**ual offences that could derail his music career.
On April 22, 2026, the Los Angeles Medical Examiner revealed that Celeste Rivas Hernandez died by homicide caused by penetrating injuries to her upper body. The next day, D4vd appeared in Los Angeles court for the first hearing. The prosecutors revealed that they found digital data from D4vd's phone that contained child p*****aphy.
On April 29, the prosecutors submitted evidence to the court, which stated that the singer purchased chainsaws and used them to dismember Hernandez's body. Other purchases he made under the fake identity included an inflatable pool, a shovel, and a fireproof mat.
The preliminary hearing was rescheduled to July 21 after multiple delays. During this week-long hearing, the prosecutors presented several pieces of evidence, which included text messages that implied that Hernandez had an abortion. The text messages between the singer and Hernandez from 2024 showed D4vd urging Hernandez to get an abortion because he claimed that neither of them was capable of taking care of the baby.
The prosecutors recovered iCloud data from the defendant's phone. It contained text messages from August 8, 2022, when Hernandez was 11, and he was 17, which hinted that they were dating back then. The prosecutors also recovered photos of the teenager during the alleged s***al abuse.
The testimony hearing is expected to resume on Monday, July 27, 2026. As of now, the singer has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and he remains in custody.
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Also Read: D4vd's Day 4 hearing in the Celeste Rivas Hernandez case reveals text messages about a pregnancy
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